July 2008
by DateMe
Summary: Entries for the fanfiction section of the July contest. Entries listed in order of submission. Challenge: Sparks Fly, Pairing: NaruHina.
1. I'm Not Okay by MissLe

**Title:** I'm Not Okay**  
Author:** MissLe**  
Rating:** PG ( K+ )**  
Challenge:** Sparks Fly**  
Pairing:** NaruHina

We ask that you PLEASE refrain from reviewing this story here. If you would like to do so, the original is posted right here on ff. net in MissLe's (aka, lemonfishy on DA) personal profile.

* * *

"Hanabi!" She squealed and ran further into the crowd, desperately shouting for some form of response. She stopped at a crossing path between the food and game stalls. This seemed like a place where her sister would run off to; food and entertainment.

Warily, she walked slowly through the hordes of people, careful not to be stepped on or spotted by her family. She wasn't even supposed to be here, nor her sister for that matter; both had conspired in the wee hours of the night to sneak out weeks before it actually happening...it was important for them.

The festival was booming with excitement and energy, people laughed and shouted happily. Everywhere you looked, there were smiling faces and happy couples creating the majority of the crowd. Hinata hadn't remembered it being so lively before when she had last visited it thirteen years ago. Hanabi hadn't even ever been here before.

Thirteen years...far too long ago.

Taking a deep breath, she calmed and recollected herself, thinking of a suddenly simple solution. How stupid of her. She pressed her fingers together and triggered her Byakugan, searching through the multitudes for the familiar chakra signatures. After what felt too long of seeing more than she really wanted to, she saw Hanabi's tiny figure standing and (what looked like) arguing next to another all too familiar one.

Hinata stumbled back a step and continued staring agape in the direction of stalls where she could now clearly see her sister without the help of Byakugan. What a dilemma. Let her sister loose again and let possibly let her family find out and get locked up for a month or two...or face talking to him.

Well, shit.

Groaning, she pushed aside what little pride was getting in her way and strode purposefully towards her sister. Figures she would go see him. She really oughtn't be surprised. Hanabi loved him like a brother, she had been so mad when Hinata had...had...never mind.

She watched the two now chatter amiably and both throw out enthusiastic comments and gestures; it made her heart twitch strangely. Maybe with regret. She didn't know, but it wasn't a comforting feeling.

Placing her hands firmly on her sister's shoulders, Hinata greeted her, "Hanabi, you can't run away like that, what if another Hyuuga saw us?" She sighed and relaxed her grip on Hanabi's shoulders, "I want to be able to enjoy this festival."

"Hinat-aa." Hanabi whined in her as of late, rebellious teenage voice, "I know what would happen, I'm not stupid." She shook Hinata's grip off of her, "I just wanted to say hi to Naruto, god."

Hinata bit her lip and stared up at the young blond man's face who was staring at the sisters with amusement. He looked incredibly attractive in his casual garb, some how even more than usual, and Hinata noticed how much brighter his hair was from the summer sun.

"Hey there, Hinata." He greeted to her politely and gave her a small smile.

"Hello, Naruto." She whispered back and felt like shrinking into the ground.

"Weeeell," Hanabi whistled and drew out her word, "I think I can see Konohamaru over there! Bye, guys!" She waved good bye to the horrified young woman and nearly amused young man.

"Hanabi!" Hinata called out and attempted to run after her sister, she should've known Hanabi would do something like this…again.

Naruto pulled her back with a gentle tug of the wrist, "I don't think it's considered 'cool' to be followed around by your older sibling. Let her be, let her have her chance to have fun."

She looked up at his blue eyes that suddenly seemed so much more mature and understanding. She wondered if the sudden change of attitude had been recent...or if it had been a slow development she had turned a blind eye to or been unable to recognize.

They stood there in silence for a few seconds, neither knowing what to say before Hinata murmured, "Sorry for having her bother you."

He laughed and leaned against the post next to him, "Naw. Always a pleasure talking with you Hyuuga girls." He gave her a friendly grin, "She's gotten feistier. She's fourteen, right?"

"Yes." She replied and wondered what was preventing her from just walking away from this unbearably uncomfortable situation.

Naruto craned his neck to look over her head and through the crowds. She wondered why he had done that. It wasn't as if he needed to even raise his head to stare over the crowds. He had grown so much from the boy she had obsessed over; he was now a good head and a half taller than her.

He pointed at a stall at the very far end of the path; a smaller, quieter part of the festival, "How about some ramen? I'm sure it's not nearly as good as Ichiraku's...but ramen is ramen." He gave her a cheeky grin that she was all too familiar to her.

With all her mind she wanted to refuse, she didn't want to at all. Being around Naruto was too uncomfortable, too strange. Yet, she still found herself saying, "Okay."

It seemed her heart had a schedule separate from her mind's.

He offered her his arm with a pleasant smile. Hinata stared at him much like a doe being faced with the barrel of a gun. He laughed and retracted his arm, "Sorry." He motioned down the path of people with his arm, "Shall we?"

She supposed she could find Hanabi later. Hinata nodded and followed behind him, letting him part the wave of people. It wasn't a hard task for him to do, not only was he a large man by now, but he was respected. People knew who he was and now no longer shied away in revulsion or fear; they didn't see him as the nine tail anymore, but as the next Hokage to be.

Hinata felt herself crumple in on herself a bit. Here she was, heiress to Konoha's most powerful clan, but few could actually place a name to the face, let alone recognize the face. She was glad that Naruto got all the recognition he deserved his non-stop training and work he had done...she just wished she did too.

She bumped into his back as he stopped abruptly at the stall. He twisted his head to face her, "Sorry."

She rubbed her nose and took a step back, "It's my fault. Don't feel bad."

When he glanced back at her again, his face showed a pained look of mild anger. The look took Hinata by surprise and she felt regret and shame fill her. She took another step back, suddenly regretting her decision to come with him. This had been a bad idea. A terrible one.

His customary smile returned and he tugged her back by the hand, "Come one, I'm starving, I'm sure you are too."

It was true, she was. Hesitantly, she stepped back to him and was surprised when his tug jerked her against his chest. She slowly looked up at him, wondering if it was, hoping it wasn't, intentional.

"Sorry," She could feel the rumble of his voice against his chest. She could feel herself missing that feeling. How long ago had that been?

He pointed at a immensely drunk man lumber past them right where Hinata had been and try to chat up some pretty looking woman. Naruto grimaced and he looked down at the ground, probably remembering Jiraiya.

Hinata could almost see the ache he was feeling ice the air around them, she wanted him to longer feel it. She wanted him to stop suffering for something that had happened years ago. She wanted him to be happy. She wanted to be that person again who would make him.

She knew she did, it was getting harder to deny. Her heart ached for him against her own will, it had always. And for that brief moment not long ago at all, it hadn't. It hadn't because it didn't need to, she had had him. But for stupid reasons...she let him go.

The past can't be changed. It hurt her to know that, it hurt her whenever she saw him with other women; it hurt her whenever he smiled at her. It hurt her so bad.

"Let's eat." She stepped away from his hold and pulled him to a stool with her firm and tiny hands.

He smiled at her and held his other arm out before indecisively dropping it, "Alright, Hinata. Let's eat."

They ate in silence, each wrapped up in their own thoughts. She remembered a year ago when they dated and this had been such a normal thing to do...now it seemed so alien. Before, they would sit, talk, eat, and listen; it was never unnerving or boring. His stories were always fantastic and he always had something interesting to say.

Hinata bit her lip to reign in the small tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. So much had changed. Too much had changed.

"So I hear from Hanabi you've acquired jounin status, eh?" Naruto asked, slurping up the last of his broth and noodles. He slapped down a bill and a few coins for the stall keeper who graciously took them.

She took out a bill too, but was stopped by Naruto's large hand placing hers back into her small pouch. "Don't worry about it; I already paid for your half." He grinned at her, whiskered face lifting, "My treat."

She was about to protest when he pushed her along gently by the small of her back, "Anyways, let's celebrate your new status then!" He laughed raucously and led her to another stand that seemed to be selling sake.

"Naruto," She stopped walking and waited for him to turn around expectantly, "I...I don't want to get drunk tonight, which is what evidently will happen if I have any alcohol."

"I forgot you were a lightweight..." Naruto mused, probably remembering that one time he had seen her drunk. Hinata had blocked that memory out of her mind. It hadn't been pretty.

He turned around to a different stall and pointed excitedly, "Sparklers! We'll have sparklers!" He dragged her over to it and quickly purchased two sparkler sticks.

Hinata stayed quiet the whole time, enjoying the childish innocence rolling off of Naruto in waves. She missed that too. He was currently looking down at the sparklers, then up at a quiet and empty hill with a single, large tree strung up with decorative lanterns not too far.

"Let's light them up there." And without even waiting for her proper reply, he pulled her along in a run towards it that ended in a sprinting race across rooftops.

She threw her arms around the trunk of the tree once she had reached it and leaned all of her weight against it. Naruto had beat her, that wasn't something she had ever doubted would happen, but it had still been fun. She looked up at him and gave him the first smile he had seen from her to him since their relationship had ended.

"You win," She said, breathing heavier than usual.

"Don't tell me you're tired already." He teased.

"It's not easy keeping up to the man who is undoubtedly going to be the next Hokage." She managed to keep her breathing under control and straighten herself up from the tree.

He handed her the suddenly lit sparkler, "Congratulations on being upgraded from chunnin."

She held it in her hand loosely, then gripped it and ran around in circles, giggling like a child and watching the sparks fly and fall. "They're like miniature fireworks, aren't they?"

"Yeah," He agreed, but Hinata couldn't help how distracted he looked as he said that and stared dully at his sparkler. She stopped her circles and stared at him watching his sparkler die.

He must've sensed her staring and asked quietly, "Hinata, why did you break up with me?"

The question caught her way off guard and she stumbled closer to him, crouching down to the ground. She hadn't prepared for this moment. Ever. She had just plan to avoid him with all her might. "Because I'm selfish. You have no idea just how selfish I really am." She said with no real belief that this reason would fly well.

"You broke up with me...you broke up with me because you were...selfish?" He gripped the sparkler tighter until Hinata thought it would snap in half. He added in a quiet, defeated voice, "I still don't get it. You broke up with me with the words, 'I'm sorry. Please don't feel bad.' Don't feel bad? What was I supposed to feel?" He looked down at her crouched form with a look of such utter loss that the twitches in her heart became so much more painful.

Now Hinata wanted more than anything to just wrap her arms around him, stroke his hair, kiss him, and whisper that no matter what, she would still love him; like she used to. But she had lost that right for what felt like a long time ago, so merely stared at her sparkler and licked her lips, trying to figure out the right words to say.

"I...didn't want to get hurt." Hinata knit her eyebrows together and pressed her lips in a thin line, "I tried nipping it at the bud."

Naruto crouched down next to her, "You thought…you thought I would hurt you?" He looked at her and gently swiped away the bangs that were falling in her eyes, "Hinata, I would never..." He trailed off and began again, "You were the most important person I had. I wouldn't dare hurt you...not at the cost of losing you."

His sparkler had now died and he ran his fingers across her cheek, collecting the tears that were dripping down and off her face. She missed his comfort and couldn't help but lean into his hand, letting him cup her cheek soothingly.

"I don't doubt for a second that you, Naruto, would ever purposely hurt me." She twirled the sparkler in her hands and watched it slowly get lower to the end, "You're too kind. But my family...they wouldn't ever allow anything more to transpire between us." It was dying now.

"If I had liked you so much, just after six months of dating I couldn't help but wonder how I would feel after several years. I think I would've broken if they made me end it with you then." It was getting harder to keep her voice steady and she stopped talking for a moment to take a deep breath and watch the sparkler finally die.

Naruto patiently waited for her and continued to wipe away tears and stroke her hair comfortingly. Finally, when she regained control over herself, she said hoarsely, "I'm so sorry...I'm sorry."

He discarded both sparkler sticks and gathered her against his chest in a hug. He rested his cheek against the top of her head and whispered teasingly, "Hm, maybe you actually are a selfish girl. Just kidding." He added after feeling her squirm in his arms after that comment and held her tighter.

"You know I'm going to become Hokage, right?" He murmured and didn't wait for her response, he didn't think she would give an answer anyways, "And your family can't oppose the Hokage."

She looked up at him expectantly, wanting him so badly to finish whatever he may be hinting at. "So if you can't bear to be with me for now...wait for me." He pressed a kiss to her closed eyes, her nose, and the corner of her lips.

Emotions rose in Hinata at a higher intensity than ever before, before they merely simmered and bubbled and the surface, but now they were exploding, making her stomach feel like it was where her heart was supposed to be, and that her heart was in her throat.

Hinata couldn't bear it. There was no way she could wait. She couldn't wait until he became Hokage. She held his face in her hands. "I think...I think can endure being with you. Maybe." She added teasingly and kissed him on the lips.

— — —

First NaruHina I've written. I enjoyed it...but it was awkward for me.

Contest entry to DateMe's contest...again.

Ciao


	2. From Morning Till Night by Love Notesx87

**Title:** From Morning Till Night  
**Author:** Love Notes x87  
**Rating:** PG-13 ( T )  
**Challenge:** Sparks Fly  
**Pairing:** NaruHina

We ask that you PLEASE refrain from reviewing this story here. If you would like to do so, the original is posted right here on ff. net in Love Notes x87's personal profile.

* * *

Hinata arrived to the training grounds just in time to see Naruto raise his right hand and deliver the knockout blow on his opponent.

Inuzuka Kiba fell to his hands and knees, spitting blood and broken fangs. Seconds later, Akamaru sprung to his master's aid.

"I thought you were strong," Naruto said, a glint of humor in his eyes.

"Bastard," Kiba growled and Akamaru's barking soon followed.

A few feet away from them, Shino was sitting on the ground, leaning against the trunk of a tree. "Naruto wins," he said simply and went back to his book.

Hinata blinked.

She had the slightest suspicion this wasn't what the dog-master had in mind when he decided to challenged Naruto to a friendly match.

"That's six times in a row," Naruto said and offered Kiba his hand.

The boy took it and leaped to his feet. "That's because I let you win," he said, wiping blood off his lip with the back of his hand. "I didn't want to deflate your ego, I know how big it is these days."

Naruto smirked. "Let's play another round, then."

Kiba wobbled into a fighting stance. "I won't go easy on you this time."

Naruto mimicked his moves. "Good, 'cause I won't go easy on you, either."

Pale eyes darted back and forth between the two several times before Hinata decided to wait till their brutal sparring session was over before making her presence known.

She pressed her back against a nearby tree and slid down to sit on the ground. They were too involved to notice her, but she kept a a good distance away nonetheless; close enough to see them but far enough away not to be seen.

Team 8 had arranged to meet for lunch at eleven thirty, but Hinata came a little earlier, hoping to catch a glimpse of Naruto. Maybe say hi to him or something.

Hinata pulled her knees to her chest and watched them fight.

Kiba threw a punch.

Naruto easily dodged it and retorted with one of his own.

It wasn't unusual to see Kiba and Naruto beat each other unmercifully. They were old friends and, at times, sparring partners.

Kiba blocked the next punch and dodged another, but a third caught him in the mouth and he stumbled backward.

Hinata had a fleeting urge to run over and help Kiba, but only because he was her teammate. Secretly, she was rooting for Naruto. She always had.

When Hinata was 12, her family deemed her weak, both morally and physically. Weak and careless; the many scars on her body were living proof of her story.

She wasn't exactly the epitome of social success, either. The child was withdrawn, shy, self-conscious and non-aggressive.

By Hyuuga standards, she was a failure, and was reminded of it every single minute of every single day. And eventually, Hinata learned to accept people's expectations of her.

...that is, until she met Uzumaki Naruto.

He was kind and honest, yet strong and determined to be his own person. He had bright blue eyes that seemed to grow brighter and his brilliant blond hair, in Hinata's opinion, sparkled like the sun.

As the years passed, the boy became her one source of courage and sanity. Her expectations and her assessment of her own capabilities changed because of him. And eventually, what had started as admiration, and probably just a silly little crush, evolved into something strong and unbreakable.

If Hinata said she was madly in love with Naruto, she'd be lying, but it was getting awfully close.

Every time she thought of him, her pulse quickened and her temperature rose another degree.

Every time he looked at her, a smile lifted the corners of her lips.

Every time he came near her, she could hardly breathe.

Every time he uttered her name, she felt as if she were floating in the clouds.

And as selfish as it may seem, sometimes she wanted to keep him all to herself. Maybe keep him in a little jar in her room, and just stare at him.

...hey, a girl can dream, right?

Hinata raised her gaze to the sky.

If only she could muster up the courage to tell him...

What would he say? Worst case scenario, he would just laugh at her.

_No._ Hinata shook her head, denying the possibility.

Naruto was open and straight forward, but he wasn't cruel.

She glanced at him.

Would he ignore her? Reject her? Scorn her?

All these years she'd watched him from afar, trying to find the words and courage to tell him how she felt; trying but failing miserably.

She took a deep breath.

_I can't tell him, life is too embarrassing as it is! Besides -_

The sound of footsteps approaching, treading slowly over the grass, jerked her back to reality.

_Shino._

Hinata blinked repeatedly, dimly aware of her surroundings.

"Have you been waiting long?"

She scrambled to her feet. "Um, no - not really."

Shino pushed his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose and walked back to the training grounds, Hinata trailing behind him.

When Naruto spotted her, he began to wave frantically and beckon her over. "Hey, Hinata-chan! Over here! Over here!"

She shifted nervously under the sudden, overwhelming attention.

"Na - Naruto-kun."

Blue, blue eyes met hers.

She averted her gaze to Kiba, who was sprawled on the grass, unconscious and bleeding, but alive.

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. "Don't worry Hinata-chan, I didn't set out to seriously harm him." Blood and sweat and dirt were smeared across his face.

Vaguely, Hinata wondered what would've happen to Kiba if Naruto had intended to harm him.

Shino bend down and poke Kiba in the stomach.

Hinata winced. "...to see if he's alive?" she inquired.

"For fun," Shino reply stoically.

Kiba made a gurgling noise and sat up, gasping for air.

"...hey! What was that for?!"

"Are you okay Kiba-kun?"

Kiba blinked, adjusting his eyes to the sunlight. "I think I'll survive," he said.

Akamaru barked once and his silent, unblinking gaze, met his master's.

"Tch. Don't worry about me," Kiba said and struggled to his feet.

Hinata pulled out a small white container and held it out to him. "I brought some ointment," she said.

Kiba took it, a slow, lazy smile spread across his face. "Thank you Hinata. See, Akamaru? I'll be feeling better in no time!" He gave the dog's head a good scratch.

Hinata was about to offer Naruto some ointment as well, but decided against it. He'd probably rather have Sakura fix him all up.

Then again...

She took a deep breath and became more aware of the butterflies in her stomach. "Naruto-kun, I - I have more ointment...ano...if - if you want..."

Naruto, who'd been busy readjusting the the bloody bandages around his left arm, looked up. "Really?"

Hinata nodded and closed the distance between. She handed him a small container, similar to the one she'd given Kiba, but of a slightly different color. "It m - might - it might help your a - arm," she said in a tiny voice.

"...thanks."

Shino was the only one who noticed that Naruto's eyes lingered on Hinata a just bit longer than necessary.

"What happened to your face?" Naruto suddenly asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"Eh?"

"Your face," he said and made a weird gesture with his hand.

Realization dawning on her, Hinata reached up to touch the small cut across her cheek with the tip of her finger. "Mission," she said simply and looked away, blushing scarlet.

"Ah." He fumbled with the ointment. "So...I just apply this everywhere?"

A thin brow arched up above round glasses.

"Twice - twice daily to ease the pain," Hinata said.

"Ah."

Kiba smiled, but there was no humor in it. "What? You don't know how to apply ointment?"

"Shut up," Naruto muttered.

"We're heading out," Shino declared. "We'll wait for you in the usual place, Hinata." Before Kiba could complain, he motioned for him to follow. The dog-master complied, but judging by his expression, he didn't seem too happy about it.

_That was weird_, Hinata though, watching her teammates disappeared into the clearing.

"Geez, what's wrong with him?" Naruto wondered out loud.

"...maybe he's hungry," Hinata offered.

Naruto and Hinata realized they were alone.

_Er..._

Awkward silence ensued.

_I shouldn't be alone with him..._

With all her feelings bottled up inside, Hinata was like a ticking time bomb. She might go off at any moment and say something stupid, something -

"I like you!"

- something she will probably regret having said at all.

"Huh?"

Hinata squeezed her eyes shut, blushed and stuttered out the words "I like you from morning till night!" And then, she ran away, leaving a very confused, and just mildly disappointed Naruto in her wake.

**The End.**

Thanks for reading.

-- -- --

**Author's Notes:** ...yes, I totally rushed the ending. I've never even read a NaruHina, so I didn't really know what do with this couple, but I hope all you NaruHina fans enjoyed it, anyway.


	3. One Way by Ms Videl Son

**Title:** One Way  
**Author:** Ms. Videl Son  
**Rating: **PG ( K+ )  
**Pairing: **NaruHina  
**Challenge:** Sparks Fly

We ask that you PLEASE refrain from reviewing this story here. If you would like to do so, the original is posted right here on ff. net in Ms. Videl Son's (aka, megaminoeien on DA) personal profile.

* * *

For her first kiss, Hinata had always expected sparks to fly.

At least, that's what romantic movies and books had always taught her to anticipate. Soothing ambiance, lit candles, flower petals strewn all about...all the little details that were supposed to make her heart go pitter-patter for her knight in shining armor.

In certain ways, she hadn't been disappointed. The setting was perfect; a moonlit summer night in the midst of a Konoha street festival with the entire village in attendance. The streets were blocked off for the annual celebration, directing the foot traffic flow in more confined directions.

Of course, no one seemed particularly interested in leaving the designated path of packed earth as there were too many attractions to incite anyone from wandering too far off the main drag. Besides, there was a certain ambiance that had descended upon the warm summer's night, possibly a side effect of the soft glow of paper lanterns, scores of affectionate couples walking hand-in-hand from one booth to the next or the steady thrum of joyous voices that vibrated on the air.

Then again, maybe everything felt so special because she had been with Naruto.

They hadn't come to the festival together, nor were there arrangements for them to meet there, but fate seemed to be surveying Hinata with a friendly eye that night and brought them together nonetheless. At least, it had seemed so at the time.

"Hey, Hinata-chan!" he'd greeted, his pearly-white grin glaring out of the semi-darkness at her. "I didn't think I'd see you here. The Hyuugas don't seem like they like to party much."

"Oh, well, um...," she'd begun, feeling warm embarrassment seeping into her cheeks. "F-Father says it's good to support the village during celebrations."

"You're here with your family, then?"

"No...w-well, Neji-nii-san and Hanabi-chan are with me."

Naruto had taken that opportunity to swing his head left and right to scan the crowds around him. "Where?"

"We got separated," Hinata admitted, shyly dipping her head to look at her yukata-covered hands. "I th-think they went to see one of the shows."

"So you're lost?"

The timid Hyuuga heiress felt the blush in her cheeks intensify when he said this. "I s-suppose..."

"Then let's go find your family!" Naruto declared, raising his voice with enthusiasm. Without waiting for her to reply, he reached out and took hold of her wrist and proceeded to pull her down the street with him, shouting Neji's name at the top of his lungs. "NEJI! Hey, get out here, you smug jerk! Hinata-chan's looking for you!"

After only a few moments of stuttering humiliation, Hinata settled into Naruto's method of reuniting her with her party and began to enjoy the feeling of his hand wrapped around hers. She knew that there were no romantic intentions behind it, but it was still the closest she'd ever been to her crush outside of the classroom. This single thought made her smile as she averted her eyes from the back of his windbreaker.

"Man, where are they?" Naruto griped after a good ten minutes of fruitless searching, stopping dead in his tracks. "You'd think we'd have spotted them by – _oof_!"

Unaware of his intentions to halt, Hinata had run headlong into Naruto's chest as he'd turned around to complain to her face-to-face. Her excess momentum had sent them both sprawling to the ground in a heap with the Hyuuga heiress on top.

"S-Sorry!" Hinata had immediately apologized, pressing three of her fingers to her tingling lips after pulling them away from his. The heat in her cheeks was of the utmost intensity as the result of their little collision fully occurred to the stunned heiress. "I d-didn't mean to – "

"It's okay," Naruto had assured her smilingly, climbing to his feet unsteadily. He seemed completely unaffected by their mistaken interaction as he reached a hand out to her, but Hinata was willing to imagine that he was simply hiding it well. "Need help?"

Nodding, she lifted her trembling hand and deposited it into his steady palm, once again reveling in the feel of his fingers closing around her. This enabled her to pluck up enough courage to venture speaking once again. "Um – "

"Hey, it's Sakura-chan!" Naruto interrupted, withdrawing his hand from her to hold it over his eyes like a visor.

Indeed, standing right in their line of sight with her arms wrapped around one of Uchiha Sasuke's bicep was Haruno Sakura, her cotton candy-pink hair perfectly suited to her brightly-colored surroundings. She hadn't even turned at the sound of Naruto's voice, occupied as she was with keeping the struggling Sasuke within her clingy grasp.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto called again, waving his free hand high in the air as he took a step toward her. He halted mid-step, however, and turned back to Hinata. "Oh, sorry, Hinata-chan. D'you think you could find your family by yourself?"

Clutching her fisted hand – the one that Naruto had grabbed twice tonight without provocation – over her heart, Hinata did her best to answer him with a smile. "Y-Yes, I'm fine, Naruto-kun."

"Great, I'll see you on Monday!" he shouted over his shoulder as he jogged away. He disappeared into the swarming crowd, chasing the splotch of bubblegum pink that was still visible between the packed bodies.

Hinata stared after him for a long time, allowing her hand to droop back down to her side and slacken as the disappointment spread throughout her body. The atmosphere no longer seemed enchanted, though nothing in her surroundings had changed a bit. All the same, it was all different.

In the end, Hinata had been successful in securing her first kiss from the boy she liked most in the world. And there had been a shock of excitement that had rendered her body numb as their lips met for the briefest of instants, but...the sparks had only flown in one direction.

— — —

**Author's Note: **Sorry, guys, but I dislike NaruHina as a romantic pairing **n.n**; I see it as rather pathetic on Hinata's part and completely implausible on Naruto's (he's cute, but dense). I'd much prefer them to hook up with other people and simply call themselves friends one day. Still, I suppose I can see how they could be cute together and don't consider myself horrified when people hook them up in fanart/fiction, hehe. They're just not for me, is all.

Anyway, this is my entry for DateMe's July contest. Vote for me...**n.n**;

_**. ( . Ms Videl Son . ) .**_


	4. Celebration by hinatahyuugachan

**Title:** Celebration  
**Author:** hinatahyuugachan  
**Rating:** PG ( K+ )  
**Pairing:** NaruHina  
**Challenge:** Sparks Fly

We ask that you PLEASE refrain from reviewing this story here. If you would like to do so, the original is posted right here on ff. net in hinatahyuugachan's personal profile.

* * *

"But I won't hesitate no more,

no more, it cannot wait

I'm yours"

"I'm Yours" – Jason Mraz

The sky was still tinged with the last rays of the sun, with streaks of orange and purple mingling. Faint sounds of laughter and conversation drifted through the air, momentarily louder as the door opened and closed, revealing a girl in a red yukata.

She looked around, once, twice, to make sure no one had noticed her departure. With a relieved sigh, she settled down on the porch leading to the garden, unpinning her hair and letting it hang loose. Pearl-gray eyes closed in momentary rest; she relaxed to the sounds of the water running nearby.

"Hinata?" Startled to hear a male voice so close to her, she opened here eyes and stared into clear blue eyes.

Rearranging her face so that her surprise didn't show as clearly, she tilted her head back to see the person better. Blond hair, blue eyes, tall, well-built (she would not go farther than that), wearing a dark blue yukata. Only one person could fit that description.

"Naruto-kun?" she asked, wondering what he was doing at the flower garden in the Hyuuga compound. "Are you here for the party?" She didn't think that he would come so soon after he had just come back, but it was a party for all chuunin and above…

"Well, I didn't really want to come, but since apparently everyone else is in there… why aren't you in there?" he replied, raising his eyebrows.

"Er…" Hinata blushed and looked down again, thinking how nice it was that he was in a yukata (really, dark colors looked much nicer on him than orange, although that was…an interesting color scheme, to say the least). "It was getting hot in there, and well, it was kind of boring… Plus, there wasn't going to be any fireworks."

He looked at her, wondering whether fireworks were that important to her.

Feeling the weight of his stare on her, she started to blush and fell into her old habit of poking her fingers together. Trying to cover up her nervousness, she began to speak quickly, "A-ah, well, we – that is, Neji and Hanabi and I would always watch the fireworks and w-well, they were scheduled to be today, but w-we were supposed to be inside the r-room and s-so I don't think that t-they could come o-out, but I thought that the fireworks were going to start soon and –––" abruptly, she clasped her hands to her mouth, realizing that she was rambling, and blushed even harder when Naruto started to laugh.

"Was that why? Oh, well, then, that's easily fixed. Come with me." And without preamble, he took her hand in his and began to insistently pull her towards the gate. "Come on! You said that you wanted to see the fireworks, right? Well, there's this tree that's got the perfect view…"

But Hinata zoned out after that, almost shuffling behind him automatically while she smiled at his enthusiasm for all things, even for something like fireworks. And then her attention focused on the fact that he was holding her hand. Holding her hand! As if it was perfectly ordinary to do something so intimate so easily.

She was so busy thinking about the fact that even their fingers were intertwined that she missed it when he looked back at her, wondering why she was so quiet. He started to ask her if something was wrong when he saw the way her eyes were half-closed in contentment and her lips were turned upwards at the end. He wondered absently whether she smiled like that all the time, and almost felt a surge of resentment towards Neji for being able to see her more than he did. (Which was not true in fact, she had almost become his shadow after he returned, and had he ever turned around, he would have seen the same smile more often than not.)

"N-Naruto-kun?"

"Hmmm?" Startled, he turned around and she bumped into him, almost knocking him over by their combined momentum. He automatically reached out and caught her arm as she wobbled back and forth, and then she was steady.

"Ah, thank –––" Once again, her reply died in her mouth as she realized how close she was to him, and how intently he was staring at her. She thought that she would faint again by being this close to him, with his breath mingling with hers, and holding her on both sides.

He leaned an inch closer, and pressed his lips softly against hers. The kiss deepened and she leaned forward to put her hands in his hair. Neither noticed when the fireworks were lit, only wondering at the sensation of another's lips and how it felt oh-so-good. When they pulled back (almost reluctantly), Naruto was scratching his head and stammering "Oh, sorry so much! That was well, um, an –––" but was cut off again by another kiss.

"Haha, t-that felt good," was her response while she waited for him to say something. As the seconds ticked by, she grew more and more nervous, wondering oh-my-god what had she done, and so pointed at the sky, "Oh look! F-fireworks! I always wonder what th-they're celebrating…" She wondered why he hadn't spoken (in the back of her mind the voice whispered that it was because she had kissed him and he probably was wondering why the 'shy, quiet weird person' had done that).

Finally trusting himself to look at her, he said "Well, they must be celebrating for us then, right?" and oh-so-casually put his arm around her shoulder. He felt relieved when she leaned into him, relaxing, and then both watched the rest of the fireworks.

-- -- --

**Author's note:** help! Help! I am so confuzzled! I don't even know if a kiss would make the rating would go up, if it does, can someone help me with that too? First fic ever, would like some helpful pointers or anything you see fit to give me : (Reviews are good too…)


	5. Fireworks by Neochic4567

**Title:** Fireworks  
**Author:** Neochic4567  
**Rating: **PG-13 ( T )  
**Pairing: **NaruHina  
**Challenge:** Sparks Fly

We ask that you PLEASE refrain from reviewing this story here. If you would like to do so, the original is posted right here on ff. net in Neochic4567's (aka, neochick4567 on DA) personal profile.

* * *

_"This is bothersome,"_ Hinata thought as she told her father goodbye. The disapproving glances from the rest of her clan showed who agreed with her reason for leaving. _Yes_, she was leaving the festival in celebration of the village's founding early, but it was for a legitimate reason. She mostly trained at night, so her eyes were much more sensitive to light than the rest of her family's, and the fireworks hurt them. Leaving before the fireworks started and getting a good distance away would spare her most of the glare. Maybe she could go find out how well she trained in her kimono. That would work.

"This is crap," Naruto sighed to himself. "Whose stupid idea was it to celebrate the village's founding with fireworks? What good does it do?" Because of him containing the Kyuubi, he got certain _"side effects"_ along with it, one of those being enhanced hearing. So the boom from the fireworks made his hearing go haywire. "This sucks," he muttered, angry that he had to leave early. Maybe he could go farther away and test his hearing against the fireworks at a training ground or something. Yeah, that could work.

Naruto was just getting to the ground when he realized someone else was there. It was Hinata. In a _kimono._ He never saw her in a kimono. She would always evade him when the village was having big ceremonies that forced her to be there with her clan. But she was there _training_ in her kimono instead of being with her family.

"Hey Hinata."

She turned at the sound of her name being called, and when she realized who was calling it, she nearly broke her foot in mid-kick. Instead she broke the post. She winced as her foot came back down and checked the damage to it. Naruto was beside her in an instant. "It wasn't the smartest idea, training in a dress," he told her. She nodded numbly. On the inside she was hyperventilating. Although, she had figured out a while ago that if she didn't look at him, she could speak like a relatively normal person. The fireworks began to go off and at the first boom, she instinctively looked up and winced when the bright lights hit her eyes. She also made the mistake of letting her eyes stray to Naruto's face; a face that was studying her's.

The fireworks went off and the boom resounded loudly in Naruto's ears. He flinched but caught sight of Hinata's face as she glanced behind him. The fireworks lit up her usually blank eyes, and her midnight hair fell lightly around her face. He never realized she looked that amazing. He was entranced, and he did the only thing that came to mind. He kissed her.

Hinata did _not_ understand what was going on. Naruto was just _kissing her_ out of the blue, and she didn't understand why. Her first thought was that he might be drunk. But in this sudden... _closeness_, she couldn't smell any alcohol on his breath. She should have pushed him away and told him to explain himself. She should have pushed him away because in a few seconds her heart would be broken and her world would crash and burn, but she couldn't stop her hands from tangling themselves in his golden hair.

He had no idea what he was doing, none whatsoever. He should have just stopped and told her that he was an idiot. He should have just stopped and told her that he had feelings for Sakura, but he couldn't seem to stop. And when her soft hands reached up to tangle themselves in his hair, and his arms fell to rest on her waist he realized he wasn't going to stop and neither was she. And as their kiss deepened, neither minded the fireworks bursting in the distance at all.


	6. Sparks Fly by LadyKnightofHollyrose

**Title:** Sparks Fly  
**Author:** LadyKnightofHollyrose  
**Rating: **PG ( K+ )  
**Pairing: **NaruHina  
**Challenge:** Sparks Fly

We ask that you PLEASE refrain from reviewing this story here. If you would like to do so, the original is posted right here on ff. net in LadyKnightofHollyrose's (aka, LadyKnightofHollyros on DA) personal profile.

* * *

Festivities had been held for the entire day, and those not on boarder patrol or on ANBU missions were able to spend their day with their loved ones.

The handing down of the prestigious title – Hokage – had always been a time of emotion, whether the villagers mourned the loss of the previous Hokage or commended the successor of the great responsibility.

The official ceremonies had quickly come to an end to give way to celebration – restaurants were open until late, owners happily serving into the night in honour of the new leader of the village. Fireworks could be heard in every corner of Konohagakure as its residents remembered their preceding leaders and discussed the hot topic of thoughts of their new one.

The Hokage himself had slipped away an hour or so after the formal service had been performed having spent some time with his friends and conversing with several of those he was now expected to lead and protect.

As he neared the edge of a clearing, his heavy footfalls slowed to a halt as he raised a brow in surprise – it seemed as though someone else had claimed that particular training field for their own. Upon closer inspection though, he recognised the other and approached the place where he had officially become a genin.

The one already occupying his sanctuary – seated with their back resting against one of the posts that he had been tied to so many years ago – turned to face him, eyes lighting with recognition instantly.

"Hyuuga-sama," he greeted gravely, respectfully inclining his head to the leader of the oldest clan in the village. The other returned the gesture, getting to their feet and murmuring, "Hokage-sama" with a bow of their own.  
They both seemed to sigh simultaneously causing them both to look up in surprise, before smiling at each other sheepishly.

"Hokage-sama-"  
"Just 'Naruto' is fine," he insisted as he descended to the floor choosing to lean against one of the free posts.  
Taking their original position on the floor, sinking down again, the Hyuuga Clan's leader relied with a meek "As you wish," before continuing, "I would not have expected to find you here today of all days Naruto."  
His reply was a lopsided grin and the retort of, "I could say the same to you _Hyuuga-sama_."  
His companion nodded agreeably, and they shared a comfortable silence, each absorbed in their own thoughts whilst observing the distant splashes of colour that adorned the night sky.

"Hey, Hinata…" Naruto said suddenly, eyes still turned up to watch the sparks dance across the sky.  
Said Hyuuga turned to regard him, humming to show that she had heard.  
"How are you finding being the Clan Head?" The question was a serious one; one that he asked from both his duty as the Hokage and from concern as a friend.

Hinata rested her head back against the post once more, her eyelids cloaking her pearly eyes for a moment before responding.  
"It goes well enough. The majority elders have accepted me as father had after the chunin exams," she began, sending a grateful smile in his direction – he of course waved it off with a smile of his own and a shake of his head. "Thos who oppose me keep in mind that I have Neji nii-san and Hanabi-chan by my side; they also cannot afford to offend the entire branch side of the family coupled with some of the other clan heads, but most importantly not the Hokage. Where they would have previously contradicted anything they thought wrong, they would now falter; they are not as confident to do as they please without my father at their head."

Naruto inclined his head in understanding; it was true that he had finally reached his lifelong dream by claiming the title of Rokudaime Hokage - he'd always believed that he would get there one day – but coming this far certainly hadn't been smooth sailing. Indeed, there were still a great number of obstacles that still stood in his way. Whilst his dynamic personality had not helped, the very fact that he had been the Kyuubi's vessel had more than hindered his chances of being widely accepted as leader – in the years of the Sandaime Hokage's return the very idea that Naruto should fulfil his ambitions was almost laughable.

But the Akatsuki had changed the village's perception of many things.

The pressure of war had forced many young shinobi of Konohagakure to mature; Naruto and Hinata among them. Hinata had managed to loose the habit of stuttering after the shock caused by the death of her father – to whom she'd grown close since the chunin exams – and the sudden impact of shouldering the responsibility of the entirety of the Hyuuga Clan had come to rest upon her shoulders as she solitarily lead them through the invasion, fully prepared to defend her family with her life just as her father before her had.  
Still demure and diplomatic, and shy of being exposed to large amounts of attention, Hyuuga Hinata was now known for her unwavering determination that became the strength of her clan; the insecurity and fragility that had once hindered her now only a shadow that followed her, telling of the past that had shaped her present.

Naruto too had matured; slightly less impulsive but equally passionate, he and learned when to hold his tongue (barely) and when to express his views; as well as the ability of working with those he did not necessarily approve of without resorting to rudeness. It always made him chuckle to think of his behaviour towards Tazuna the bridge builder when they had first met.  
With the daimyo of the Land of Fire, Koharu and Homura as his charges (all of whom had insisted that they most certainly did NOT need any protection) for the duration of the invasion, he had soon – though begrudgingly – gained their favour by putting his own life on the line to ensure that none of them were harmed. All four of them were kept from the main battle (for Naruto's sake as well as the others') they were still confronted by Amegakure shinobi before any of the Akatsuki had arrived. Sasuke had been intent upon the demise of the village's elders, though in actuality the only one to fall to the Uchiha had been Danzou.  
Of course the horrors of battle had caught up with Naruto, and he now understood the extent of the responsibilities of the Hokage in place of the previous, glamorised perception he had had. But this did not deter him from wanting to step up to the position.

Having gained trusted friends and comrades among shinobi and civilians alike, Naruto's drive to protect his village only became all the more stronger.

The Godaime, although alive, had suffered grievous injuries; after amassing many deep wounds she had proceeded to overextend herself both in fighting and in her attempts to heal. Overreaching her chakra supplies, including the amount stored behind the seal on her forehead, her chakra coils had become too fragile to use much chakra, though the amount that she now had at her disposal had decreased dramatically.  
Still, she had continued to lead the village, helping it rebuild itself once more whilst taking the decision to train the one chosen to be the next Hokage.

One Uzumaki Naruto.  
It had been a controversial verdict, and many had expressed problems with the appointment. But Naruto had allies too. Members of the rookie nine, now with some standing, some at the head of organisations or families after the war, had supported him. Some civilians whom he knew personally gladly vouched for him too.

His years under the Godaime's rigorous training had kept him in the public eye; more of the villagers were able to see that the Kyuubi container did just that – contained the Kyuubi. To most it was painfully obvious that Naruto was the one in charge; the Kyuubi would not be let loose upon them any time soon.

There were those who sill opposed him.  
But as the Godaime reminded him, "You will never please _everyone_, no matter how hard you try."

Hinata gazed up at the sky, a smile flitting across her features as a particularly loud, purple firework exploded across the sky, reminding her if a certain firecracker related to her. Closing her eyes for a moment she remarked, "The ceremonies today went relatively smoothly…"

Naruto found himself nodding absently to the statement, adding "…and now I am will officially be recognised as the Rokudaime Hokage. Who would have thought..?"

The wind almost carried the next words uttered away, and as they reached his ears, Naruto wasn't entirely sure that he had heard right.  
"I always believed that you would become Hokage." The quiet certainty in her tone caught Naruto unawares, and he couldn't help but stare at the woman seated beside him. He was acutely grateful for the shadows that concealed the colour that stained his cheeks. He opened his mouth, supposedly to reply, only to be cut off by her gentle voice again. She was still eyeing the sky when she spoke.  
"You could call it the beginning of a new age: with you as the Hokage, and me – the weak Hyuuga heir – as the Hyuuga Clan's head, we'll be a generation of surprises…""Anyone who can call you weak must have knot holes for eyes." He stated bluntly. His phrasing reminded her of a time when he'd run around pulling pranks, endlessly being scolded by teachers. Still, the words themselves had her returning the wide eyed stare despite herself and regardless of any changes that she had undergone in the last few years, she still felt heat rise to her cheeks.

"Hinata-sama!" Despite recognising the owner of the voice, Hinata couldn't move. It was as though she was 12 again. "Hinata-sama, the elders request your presence to discuss matters pertaining to the scroll that you presented to them this morning…"  
Finally regaining control of her mind, she turned to regard the third who had entered the clearing, "Neji-nii… Since it would seem that the matter is not one of urgency, do you deem it appropriate to postpone this for tomorrow morning?"  
Neji nodded slowly; it was a reasonable suggestion. The darkness that had enveloped the sky clearly enhanced the sparks dancing across it, being as late as it was, and of course there was the fact that the day had been recognised as a holiday. He smirked at the two, turning on his heel, calling over his shoulder, "Enjoy the celebrations."

Left alone again, the Hyuuga Clan Head and the Rokudaime Hokage watched the remaining fireworks in silence. No more words were needed as they enjoyed each other's company as comrades, as friends because tomorrow they would surely slip back into their roles as the Hyuuga Head and the Hokage.  
Listening to the crackles of the rockets shooting up and the quieted celebrations, each pondered the other's words.

The pink firecracker that dominated the heavens wasn't solely responsible for the hue that bathed their features.

-Hollyrose-

— — —

**Author's Notes: **Ah... This feels so rushed towards the end. Probably because it was rushed at the end. Oh well. This is this month's entry for "DateMe" for me (who have a profile here, and on DeviantArt - go check all the entries out!). So, my very fist NaruHina, and my first future fic! It ended up kinda AU since I started writing it at the beginning of the month, so it conflicts with the newest chapters of Naruto...  
Oh, and I just ended up sticking with the prompt as the title because I really can't think of anything else at the moment...

Despite the rushed ending (I blame it on Hinata straying from my original idea) I hope you enjoyed reading this!


	7. Pyrotechnics by Selen98

**Title:** Pyrotechnics  
**Author:** Selene98  
**Rating:** PG ( K+ )  
**Pairing: **NaruHina  
**Challenge:** Sparks Fly

We ask that you PLEASE refrain from reviewing this story here. If you would like to do so, please visit our homepage on DeviantArt for directions to the original post.

* * *

He didn't notice her until her until he had passed the bench three times. She was just sitting reading a book, not paying attention to the world around her. Each time he passed, she didn't even look up. It was well past midday, and the only possessions she had with her was the book sitting in her lap, and a small purse at her feet. So it was only natural that he, Naruto Uzamaki, would find it fitting to talk to a total stranger about her choice of pastimes.

Naruto walked up to the bench where she was sitting, and nonchalantly sat down beside her. She looked up from the book she was reading, a slight blush forming on her face. He smiled brightly, and her face reddened even more.

"O-oh. Umm, w-who are you?" He leaned over to look at her book before replying.

"I'm Naruto. But the important question is, who are you?" Naruto asked eagerly.

"I-I'm Hinata." She stuttered out, not looking directly at Naruto. He grinned widely, and made himself comfortable on the bench beside her.

"So Hinata, what are you doing sitting all alone on a beautiful day like this? You do know that there's a festival going on just down the street, don't you?" Hinata closed her book and let out a sigh.

"W-well, I didn't really want to go to the festival. A-and besides, I'm saving my spot for the f-fireworks show." Naruto looked even more excited at the mention of fireworks, and leaned in closer, so that his nose was almost touching Hinata's.

"You like fireworks?" His eyes were wide, and he looked just like a boy in a candy store. His closeness made Hinata uncomfortable, and she could only nod as her blush deepened to an almost crimson shade.

"So you're going to wait all day on this bench to watch the show tonight?" He leaned back slightly, but was still inside her personal bubble.

"Y-yes. T-this is a good spot, and it's n-normally taken by the time I get here. S-so I'm staying here all day." Naruto contemplated her words while Hinata scooted away from the boisterous blond. She was now at the end of the bench, with less than a foot between herself and Naruto. With a sudden jump, Naruto was now standing in front of Hinata.

"What if I told you that I could take you to the best place to view the fireworks. Would you come with me?" Hinata looked up at Naruto, unsure of how to respond. Although she had just met him, Hinata felt she could trust Naruto. On the other hand, there were a lot of creeps in the world who seemed like nice, honest people.

Naruto held out his hand for Hinata to take. She gazed at it. Should she go with a total stranger to a place that could possibly be dangerous, just for a great view of a fireworks show? Hinata bit her lip, and tentatively put her hand in his. He pulled her up from the bench, and Hinata barely had a chance to grab her book and purse before he began to drag her away at an ungodly speed to who knows where. In the back of her mind, Hinata was still worried, but she quickly put aside her anxieties. After all, she did have a large quantity of pepper spray in her purse, if worse came to worse.

Naruto led the lavender haired beauty towards the festival, but only skimmed the outskirts of the area. He took the paths that were less crowded, and before she knew it, the loud noise of the celebration was nothing but a soft murmur far behind them. The two walked down a sidewalk that led around a nearby lake. In the distance, Hinata could see a large blocked off parking lot. She couldn't tell what was there, but she knew it wasn't cars. There were several guards around the perimeter of the parking lot, and there seemed to be only one way in or out of it.

Naruto brought her right up to the entrance, where a man stood. He bounced up cheerily to the guard. He pulled something out of his pocket, and showed it to the guard.

"Hey! I'm bringing in a guest! She's gonna need a clearance pass, right?" The guard nodded, and pulled out a walkie-talkie.

"Uzamaki is back, and he's brought someone too. She's going to need a clearance pass." A voice responded, but neither could tell what was said. The guard then turned to Hinata.

"I'm going to need your name miss." Hinata nearly jumped in surprise at the man addressing her. She was so busy wondering what was going on, that she hadn't been paying attention.

"I-I'm Hinata Hyuuga." The guard nodded, and spoke into the walkie-talkie once again. He then turned his attention back to Naruto.

"Her pass is at Hakate's office. Once you get it, you're to finish up with the chrysanthemum timing." Naruto nodded, and grabbed Hinata's hand once again. He led the girl into the area.

They arrived at a small portable trailer, and Naruto began knocking on the door. After a minute of so, a man emerged from inside. His silver hair and masked appearance was somewhat strange to Hinata, but apparently not to Naruto.

"Ah, Naruto. You're back. You still haven't finished with the-"  
"Yeah, yeah Kakashi. I'm about to go finish. Just give me the pass, and I'll get it done." Kakashi sighed, but produced something out of his pocket. Without further notice, he closed the door.

Naruto handed Hinata what Kakashi had given him. It was a small laminated piece of paper with a large 'S' on it, and her name below it. It was attached to a lanyard so Hinaa put it around her neck. Still unsure about what was going on, Hinata spoke.

"U-um, I'm sorry to ask Naruto, but where are we?" Hinata asked for the first time. She still wasn't sure exactly what was going on. Naruto loked surprised, but then he let out a nervous laugh.

"Oh, sorry about that. I get a little carried away sometimes." Hinata nodded and Naruto continued. "You see, I'm actually a member of the team that puts on the fireworks show every year. And since you really wanted to see it, I thought you might like to see it how the people who put it together do. It's not like anything you've ever experienced!"

Hinata let out a small "oh" before Naruto was again dragging her around the large parking lot. They waked among several people who Naruto greeted by name, although Hinata wasn't able to remember the names. The couple finally came to an area where a pink haired girl was aligning what looked to be fireworks along a fuse. She turned around as they approached, and scowled.

"Naruto! It's about time you got back. I haven't been mixing dangerous explosives for the last seventy-two hours for you to mess up the timing, and ruin everything. The computer program still shows the chrysanthemum going off at the wrong time. It'll ruin everything!" Naruto sighed, but walked up to the girl.

"Don't worry Sakura. I know what's wrong. I just needed some help from a friend of mine. And Kakashi wouldn't let him in, something about loosing 'Trade Secrets'. Besides, I've never ruined a show yet! You should trust me more!" Sakura let out a sigh and smiled.

"I know Naruto, but you're cutting it awfully close this time." Sakura looked past Naruto, suddenly realizing that Hinata was there. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't notice you were there. My name is Sakura. I assume you're here with Naruto?"

Hinata smiled, and nodded. "Y-yes. I'm Hinata." Sakura gave her a genuine smile, before turning back to what she was working on.

"It's nice to meet you Hinata. I'm sorry that I can't chat though. I need to finish this soon." With that, Naruto once again had Hinata's hand, and he was leading her to unknown places.

They finally arrived at a table where several computers were. Several extension chords led off in different direction. Nartuo pulled out a chair for Hinata. After she sat, he sat down in another chair, and began to work on one of the computers, talking the whole time.

"I'm actually the one who makes the fireworks go off at the right time. All of the fuses are hooked up to the computer, and I program when they go off. It's a lot easier, and safer that way." Naruto continued his work for another moment, before leaning back and sighing. "And it's done! Now we just have to sit back, relax, and watch the show!" He smiled at Hinata, and she smiled back.

They continued to talk until dusk approached. Every now and then, someone would need to speak to Naruto about the setup, but aside from that, the afternoon went by without disruption. When the fireflies began to appear, Naruto stood up, and once again held his hand out for Hinata to take. This time though, she didn't hesitate to take his hand.

"Come on. They don't need me around once the show starts; I just get everything ready. Let's go somewhere with a view!" Once again, he led Hinata by the hand, and they arrived at the small trailer where they had been earlier.

"Naruto, where are we going?" Hinata asked, unsure of what her newfound companion had planned. Naruto grinned at her before turning to the side of the trailer.

"Up." Was his only response. And with that, he took a running leap, and grabbed the edge of the trailer. He hoisted himself up onto the roof, and turned so he was looking down at Hinata. "You coming?" He asked, a bright smile on his face.

Though nervous, Hinata approached the side of the trailer. If she jumped, she could grab Naruto's outstretched hands, but she was unsure if she should try. Finally deciding that it would be better to try and look stupid than seem a coward, Hinata jumped up, her arms lifted for Naruto to grab. He quickly grabbed her wrists, and with a grunt, pulled her onto the roof.

The force of his pull caused Naruto to topple backwards, which also caused Hinata to fall forward onto Naruto. Once again they were extremely close, their noses almost touching as they had earlier that day. Almost instantly, Hinata had pulled back, a blush on her face again.

"I'm s-sorry Naruto. I didn't m-mean to fall on you like that!" She blurted out, not wanting to offend him. Naruto simply waved away her words, smiling the whole time.

"It's not a problem. Stuff happens." Hinata sighed, and sat down beside him.

"So when is the show going to start?" She asked, somewhat impatient now that the sun had finally fallen. Naruto checked his watch, and smirked.

"In about a minute. Do you want earplugs? It can get pretty loud around here once things get started." Hinata shook her head.

"No, I like the noise. It's calming." She gave Naruto a small smile, and looked over to where all the fireworks had been set up for the show. Naruto found it somewhat interesting that the once shy girl had opened up so much to him, and that she had abandoned her stutter, aside from when she had been very, very close to him. There was a sudden bang as the first of the fireworks shot into the sky. Hinata jumped at the noise, but as more began to go off, she didn't even flinch. She simply kept her eyes on the sky.

Naruto scooted closer to her, so that there was no room in between the two of them. As another bust of light flared in the sky, he spoke into her ear, just loud enough to be heard over the fireworks.

"That's one of the chrysanthemums that I had to get just right." A blue light filled the sky, and Naruto continued to speak. "That one is a diadem. And those coming from the ground are palms." He spoke into her ear the entire time, telling her what type of firewor was exploding in the sky. Every now and then, when he wasn't talking, Hinata would ask about a certain firework. Aside from that, she remained mostly silent for the duration of the show. The fireworks came to a crescendo, and Naruto was still speaking.

"This is the finale. We don't hold anything back." And he was right, at once, every firework that they had used all seemed to go off at once, but from where she sat, Hinata could tell that there was an organized elegance to it. The sparks flew in every direction, making for a beautiful last moment. With one final crack, the last of the glittering bits fell to the ground, and there was a silence like no other where deafening noise should have been.

The two sat in silence, allowing the moment to remain in their memories. With a sigh, Hinata broke the comfortable quiet that surrounded them.

"I should probably be heading home now Naruto. I had a wonderful time with you today." She smiled at Naruto, the genuine happiness clearly evidednt.

"I enjoyed it too. I guess we should probably get down from here then?" Naruto helped Hinata down by slowly lowering her by the wrists until she was a few feet from the ground. She let go, and landed without injury. Naruto followed, simply jumping off the roof to land beside her. He walked her to the exit, not having to lead her as he had before. Naruto turned to Hinata, who was about to leave the makeshift boundary surrounding the parking lot.

"Umm, Hinata, we're putting on another show in a week and a half a few towns over. Would you like to come?" Hinata's eyes brightened, and she smiled.

"I would love that Naruto!" The two stood staring at each other, not quite sure how to part ways. Again, it was Hinata who spoke. "I guess this is goodbye then…" Naruto's smile diminished slightly, but he still grinned.

"Yeah, see you later then?" Naruto sounded hopeful, but still seemed down.

"Of course." And with speed that surprised the two of them, Hinata placed a quick, chaste kiss on Naruto's cheek. Even in the darkness, Naruto could make out the deep blush on Hinata's face. She turned quickly, and walked away, not wanting to look back and embarrass herself further.

Naruto, for once, was stunned speechless. He was so surprised by Hinata's kiss that he stared dumbfounded as she walked away quickly. A figure emerged from the shadows, his dark hair and eyes making him seem almost one with the night.

"You really are an idiot, aren't you?" Naruto turned to the other and frowned.

"Shut up Sasuke! You're just jealous that a beautiful girl likes me, and not you for once." Naruto pouted, almost forgetting that Hinata had kissed him.

"Did you even get her number, dead last?" Sasuke stated while crossing his arms. Naruto's eyes widened, and he turned to look for Hinata in the darkness.

"Oh no." He barely whispered, before running off into the darkness, searching frantically while screaming at the top of his lungs.

"HINATAAAAAAA!!"


	8. Burning Passion by bArs

**Title:** Burning Passion  
**Author:** broken-Angel-requiem-soul  
**Rating:** PG ( K+ )  
**Pairing:** NaruHina  
**Challenge:** Sparks Fly

We ask that you PLEASE refrain from reviewing this story here. If you would like to do so, the original is posted right here on ff. net in broken-Angel-requiem-soul's (aka, purplelights on DA) personal profile.

* * *

Hinata was returning to the village, after a week in Suna. Surprisingly, for a B-ranked mission, it was rather easy, despite the fact she was lonely; it was her first mission by herself. She silently blamed Kiba; she always expected to hear his jabbering, and now that it was quiet it felt werid. And she missed such a nice day too!

Sighing, she made her way to the Hokage's office, the sonner she gets there the faster she can get home and take a bath. Apparently the other civilans in the village didn't want her to have her way. Most was still up with their kids in the streets waiting for the fireworks to begin. It seemed like an hour before the Hogake tower came into view. She quicken her pace, nothing can stop her now-

"Hey, Hinata-chan!" Yelled a boisterous blond.

-Well I was proved wrong.

Stopping, Hinata felt her heart burst. It was her crush, Uzumaki Naruto, and he was talking to her!

"Hi, N-Naruto-kun." her face blushed.

"Hinata-chan where are you going?" Naruto asked as soon as he released her from a hug.

"T-To the H-Hokage's o-office."

"That's right, Oba-san did say that you were on a mission. Congratulations." he said and pulled her back in for another hug, ignoring that her limp she was feeling in his arms.

"So you want to watch the fire works with me?"

"But H-Hokage-sama-"

"Huh? Don't worry about her, right now she is probably knocked out from her sake competition with the pervy-sage. Please?" He asked, pulling out all the stops -- puppy dog eyes and a pout. He smirked happily when he saw the small nod coming from her, seeing her tomato-like face made his grin wider. The blond hopes he read the sings right, and that he wouldn't make a fool out of himself.

"C'mon!" Naruto gently tugged on her hand and walked at a comfortable pace, even when Hinata got her balance together he still hold her hand.

The further they walked the quieter it got, and Hinata silently wondered where Naurto was taking her. He wouldn't do anything bad to her... would he? Debating the topic in her head, she didn't notice when they came to a stop. Looking around, they were on top of heads, the former Hokage's to be exact.

_'Seculded,' _Hinata couldn't help but think, another fieryblush on her face. And Naruto still had her hand in his.

"You get a great view from here." her crush said; Hinata could feel the blood rushing at an alarming rate. Vertigo was starting to take over, her knees wobbled like whenever Akamaru jumps on her. Just when she was about to fall back, her head crushing against the rock, a loud boom and crackles scared her from the dizziness she felt before.

"Whoa, carful." Naruto said from behind her, keeping her from falling to her death... and perhaps his death as well.

"Cold?" he inquired after seeing her shiver -- from what he thought was the brush with death she almost had. The blond didn't wait for a answer because he wrapped his arms tighter around her torso and pulled her to his chest; her head on his left shoulder blade.

Naruto found himself staring at the girl he had inadvertently gotten a crush on, and hadn't realized it until Sakura teased him about whenever Hinata came his eyes would follow her like a dog looking out for its master. Then he asked Tsunade about how to know if a girl likes you, he began to notice the subtle hints that the girl he like feels the same about him.

Letting his body work move on its own, Nauto didn't notice his hands moved until he saw her flushed face and pale eyes staring at him in shock and reflecting the patterns of the fire crackers. _'I wonder how low I can make that blush spread.'_Naruto thought absent-mindinglyignoring the fact that he has been around Jiraiya and his books for to long.

Slowly tilting his heard towards the girl, noticing her eyes widen and he came back to reality.

"S-Sorry H-Hianta-a, I d-didn't m-mean..." Naruto stopped his apology when he saw how sad her face had gotten. He tried again, and this time he didn't stop until their lips met. Neither of them noticed the fire work in the sky took shape of a heart with yellow and purple colors.


End file.
